Yes, I don't get this either, LE acting as though she is alive. If she is alive, then obviously JM did not murder her. Wonder how they will go about a charge for murder later on, without her body, if they decide to go,that route. The defense will be quoting Longo and others saying they believed she was alive long after JM was in jail. Also, it is telling the defense that they do not have a crime scene or evidence of violence, if they say things like that. Yet I am pretty certain she IS deceased. I feel JM is very much a lone ranger in his criminal activities. Jmo
Though Longo is saying she "could" be alive, that does not mean she is alive. Even if Hannah is found alive, if she is found injured and raped, there would be serious charges facing JM even with just the evidence that we know right now. If she is found dead, forensics would be able to place some time period as to when she died and possibly how. What LE says as possibilities are not what are going to be issues in court. Unless JM can be linked to any harm that occurred to Hannah, really through DNA, it's going to be an uphill battle to get a conviction for her murder if she is found dead. I think lawyers on this board have brought that up from the beginning. Getting a murder conviction without a body is very difficult. Possible with enough forensic evidence, but still difficult especially if the suspect does not say anything, and he does not have to talk. The state has to come up with a case beyond reasonable doubt.
Is it reasonable that Hannah might have gotten into the car with JM, he made moves and she resisted and insisted that he let her out immediately or jumped out fo the car? It's certainly possible. How can one prove that did NOT happen? Unless there is DNA evidence that something happened in that car, ti's going to be difficult to hit JM with the charges. Heck, they could not even arrest JM when they knew the car and Hannah were connected enough to get a warrent to search and seize the car. Couldn't touch him. So they have to have more than they did then. The first wave of forensic results have come back, and we can only hope that there was some good stuff there. But note that LE has not added any charges, when they've been pretty quick about charges when they could. it was a sticking point between Longo and the DA as to whether they could charge JM with anything from the beginning. The reckless driving charge, JM handed to them as well as the charges in Texas.
In the end, it's possible if the forensics do not pan out with Hannah, that LE won't be able to charge JM with much of anything in this case, but that if there is a direct DNA match in the MH and earlier rape case, JM could be nailed for those Pretty defintive DNA obtained in the rape case, from what I understand. I don't know specifically what they have in teh HM case, and how strong it is. I believe the direct swabs from JM have yet to be processed and put into report, and that those may be key in any cases against him.
LE may end up doing a deal with him if they don't have strong evidence. The DA's office would have struck a deal with Bundy even, had he cooperated because the state was not sure they could win their case. That's how tentative they were.
Though we can discuss and assume so much, a lot will not be permitted in court. There are strict rules as to what is allowable, and a presumption of innocense is in place. JM doesn't have to say a word, and the instructions are to presume he is innocent. It's a heavy indicator in our assumptions and that he is acting guilty since he refuses to tell LE anything about what he did after he and Hannah left the mall area, but that is not allowed to be teh case in court. It is every bit his right to keep silent and it cannot be used against him that he did so.
So Longo is just saying what is a given. She could be alive, and each day it's getting less likely, but even a year down the road, she could still be alive. Maybe she went off with someone else, maybe someone is keeping her captive somewhere. I don't subscribe an instant to the slavery/prostitution ring theories, but yes, they are possible. Without a body, how can we say that is not possible? People have resurfaced years after presumed, assumed demise enough times that it is a real possibiltiy.
People point at the AM case as one where a conviction was won without a body--she's still not been found, but that was with a lot of forensic evidence that harm did occur to her at RAT's home, and he was caught lying in so much that he said that there was reasonable doubt that ANYTHING he said was true. Not going to be the case with JM who has not said anything to LE, and also we haven't gotten word of any forensic evidence found indicating that Hannah was harmed. LE had mixed DNAs of perp and victim in the AM case.
Also LE kept a lot of evidence secret until the trial in that case, which they might be doing here too.
And finally, it is very important that searchers are urgently searching for Hannah. Finding her alive when there is the remotest possibiltiy of it is very much a priority. Secondary to putting together a case to the perp. That can come AFTER she is found, or when LE has to proceed with a case before the body is found.